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| Brighton footballers cleared of sexually assaulting woman | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Four footballers have been cleared of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room. | Four footballers have been cleared of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room. |
| In a retrial at the Old Bailey, jurors also found them not guilty of voyeurism. The Brighton and Hove Albion players Anton Rodgers, 20, Lewis Dunk, and George Barker, both 21, and former teammate Steve Cook, 22, who now plays for Bournemouth, had maintained their innocence. | |
| They were given bail throughout the trial and their families, including Rodgers' father, Brendan, the Liverpool manager, had been watching the proceedings. | |
| The prosecution said the players were celebrating victory in a local cup competition in July 2011 when they came across the drunken woman at a club. She woke up at the Jury's Inn hotel to find her strapless dress pulled down, and said she saw explicit pictures on Rodgers' mobile phone. | The prosecution said the players were celebrating victory in a local cup competition in July 2011 when they came across the drunken woman at a club. She woke up at the Jury's Inn hotel to find her strapless dress pulled down, and said she saw explicit pictures on Rodgers' mobile phone. |
| Richard Barton, prosecuting, said these had been taken as a "permanent record of their conquest". But despite forensic tests on all the players' phones, only one photograph was found, on Barker's phone. | Richard Barton, prosecuting, said these had been taken as a "permanent record of their conquest". But despite forensic tests on all the players' phones, only one photograph was found, on Barker's phone. |
| It showed the sleeping woman with shaving foam spelling out GB on her thigh. Barker was next to her making a thumbs-up sign and smiling. Another player, Leon Redwood, said he went into the room at night and sprayed the foam. | It showed the sleeping woman with shaving foam spelling out GB on her thigh. Barker was next to her making a thumbs-up sign and smiling. Another player, Leon Redwood, said he went into the room at night and sprayed the foam. |
| Barker and Rodgers said the woman had joined in the "boy's banter". She climbed into bed with them and started kissing them. Dunk and Cook said they were sleeping on the floor and did not get involved with the woman. | Barker and Rodgers said the woman had joined in the "boy's banter". She climbed into bed with them and started kissing them. Dunk and Cook said they were sleeping on the floor and did not get involved with the woman. |
| The woman was said to have "told a pack of lies" following the incident. She agreed she lied to police and her employers but said she had been humiliated by the sportsmen. | The woman was said to have "told a pack of lies" following the incident. She agreed she lied to police and her employers but said she had been humiliated by the sportsmen. |
| She complained to police about the players six months later after getting into a volatile relationship with another player, Kazenga LuaLua, saying he teased her about her photographs being shown around the club and kidded her that a video would be put on YouTube. Police were unable to find anyone at the club who had seen pictures of the woman. | |
| The woman admitted an assortment of lies, including missing work earlier that day and ringing in to say her father had been involved in a traffic accident; missing work the next day and saying she had been assaulted in the street by three men named Jack, Ben and Sam; producing a black dress instead of the pink dress that she had been wearing; missing work a month later because she was at gay pride celebrations; and telling her bosses she had been drugged. | The woman admitted an assortment of lies, including missing work earlier that day and ringing in to say her father had been involved in a traffic accident; missing work the next day and saying she had been assaulted in the street by three men named Jack, Ben and Sam; producing a black dress instead of the pink dress that she had been wearing; missing work a month later because she was at gay pride celebrations; and telling her bosses she had been drugged. |
| She had hoped she would be taken out by Redwood on 16 July, but started kissing and dancing with another player, Roland Bergkamp, after seeing him with another woman. She said she was not drunk and could remember nothing after taking a drink in the club. But her friend said they had each drunk between 10 and 15 shots of alcohol and shared a bottle of wine. | |
| Jurors at a trial in February could not agree verdicts but found Dunk not guilty of voyeurism. | Jurors at a trial in February could not agree verdicts but found Dunk not guilty of voyeurism. |
| This week Brighton released Rodgers and his team-mate Ben Sampayo, who was a reluctant prosecution witness in the case. | This week Brighton released Rodgers and his team-mate Ben Sampayo, who was a reluctant prosecution witness in the case. |